Series 2 GPS Priority instead of iPhone GPS?

[iJeremy]

Is there any way to get the Watch Series 2 to use it's own GPS on a run or walk even when you have your iPhone with you? My iPhone is eating up data on my cellular plan because the Watch defaults to using the iPhone GPS when it is with me instead of using its own GPS. Very annoying and I will have to upgrade my data allowance because of it. I can't find a solution other than manually switching off cellular on the phone, which I don't want to do.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Julien]

Not sure what you problem is but GPS is passive and a received signal only. It is NOT cellular and doesn't need or use cellular data. You must have some other app running in the background that uses GPS and 'reports' data to a server like Facebook or Google Maps.

 

[CobraPA]

Not sure what you problem is but GPS is passive and a received signal only. It is NOT cellular and doesn't need or use cellular data.

You must be thinking of something like a Garmin. The iPhone uses cellular assisted GPS, so it's possible that's what he is seeing.

The difference is that the iPhone doesn't actually just use GPS. It uses Apple's Location Services. "

1. Location Services uses GPS and Bluetooth (where they're available), along with crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspots and cellular towers to determine the approximate location of your device."

From https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207092 (not a full discussion, just the first reference I found.)

 

[Julien]

You must be thinking of something like a Garmin. The iPhone uses cellular assisted GPS, so it's possible that's what he is seeing.

The difference is that the iPhone doesn't actually just use GPS. It uses Apple's Location Services. "

1. Location Services uses GPS and Bluetooth (where they're available), along with crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspots and cellular towers to determine the approximate location of your device."

From https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207092 (not a full discussion, just the first reference I found.)

Cellular asserts uses 'ping' data that the cell phone is doing as routine communication with cell towers. This is NOT part of your data plan and ALL cell phones MUST do this to stay connected to the closest tower(s). Also your iPhone is using location services whether or not you are running the Workout app on your Watch (unless you have them cut off). So any added cell data use by having GPS running for the Watch would be VERY minimal and not enough to effect a cell data plan.

Just to add: I run/bike 3 to 4 times a week (about 15x a month) and in addition to running the Watch Workout app I also run Garmin Connect Live (real time monitoring) and Nike+ (running) or Strivia (biking) [sometimes other apps as well] on my iPhone. Garmin Connect Live, Nike+ and Stravia definitely uses cell data but the impact on my data usage is probably only a few megabits a month at most.

 

[jakerichva]

CobraPA, just to be totally accurate, you said, "The difference is that the iPhone doesn't actually just use GPS. It uses Apple's Location Services." But that is not totally accurate. The iPhone does use GPS, plus other factors (wifi, cellular, bluetooth) "where they're available" as the article you cited says. So basically, if wifi, cellular and bluetooth are not there, you still get a GPS location from the iPhone.

It's a bit pretentious for Apple to call it "Apple Location Services" as just about any smartphone with GPS uses exactly the same technology. But hey, marketers gotta market!

 

[profets]

Even if the iPhone uses cellular to initiate or assist GPS, I find it very hard to believe that it uses significant data at all. I'd imagine more data is being used by other services on the iPhone rather than GPS.

 

[CobraPA]

CobraPA, just to be totally accurate, you said, "The difference is that the iPhone doesn't actually just use GPS. It uses Apple's Location Services." But that is not totally accurate. The iPhone does use GPS, plus other factors (wifi, cellular, bluetooth) "where they're available" as the article you cited says. So basically, if wifi, cellular and bluetooth are not there, you still get a GPS location from the iPhone.

It's a bit pretentious for Apple to call it "Apple Location Services" as just about any smartphone with GPS uses exactly the same technology. But hey, marketers gotta market!

Haha, well, it's easy to keep saying what's accurate...

I'm just trying to describe how Apple's system works for the OP so he can understand why it might use data. I think you are mixing up how Location Sevices works, but that is up to you to interpret your way if you like.

Note that Location Services is how Apple has implemented the combined use of different ways to get phone position. You are partly right that Google has a system that does something similar, as do other manufacturers. They are not the same systems though. Each is their own implementation (and I'm sure works better in different situations.)

 

[iJeremy]

Thank you all for the replies. Clearly I should look elsewhere for the culprit.

 

[se95dah]

How much data use are you seeing over say an hour running OP? Might give us a clue about what sort of app could be the problem. For example around 50-ish mb per hour could be streaming music (do you listen to music while you run? Apple Music or downloaded?).

 

[iJeremy]

I don't listen to music when I'm out so it can't be that. I'm obviously blaming the wrong thing entirely and need to point the blame elsewhere. My Verizon app is telling me that "web" is my main data drain. Thing is, I rarely use Safari on my iPhone.

 

[ftaok]

I don't listen to music when I'm out so it can't be that. I'm obviously blaming the wrong thing entirely and need to point the blame elsewhere. My Verizon app is telling me that "web" is my main data drain. Thing is, I rarely use Safari on my iPhone.

Go into Settings/Celluar and go check out your data usage for every so since your last reset. Then reset it right before your run to find the culprit. Don't bother with the Verizon app. iOS can break down usage by app.

 

[iJeremy]

I'll try that. Thanks.